November 4, 2010 by UTRGV Student Media

Volume 67, No. 9

THE PAN AMERICAN

November 4, 2010

HARD HATS ONLY

UTPA administrative divisions underwent recent reconstruction in an IT security move as requested by the UT system chancellor.

Illustration by Alexis Carranza

By Karen Antonacci The Pan American The divisions of Information Technology, Business Affairs, and the Office of Compliance Support Services underwent an organizational restructuring two weeks ago to keep Information Technology (IT) Security separate from the compliance organ meant to watch over it. “We needed a separation of powers just like in government, so that there’s two branches, so that the branch that is watching to make sure that IT security is OK, is not under IT security,” UTPA President Robert S. Nelsen said. The restructuring was requested by UT System Chancellor Francisco G.

PageStudent 2 - Big business might enjoys have packed their bags, but travel they neveropportunities left

Cigarroa in a memo to System school presidents dated Aug 19. While there have not been data breaches at UTPA, the memo cites recent minor ones at other member universities as the catalyst for change: “Unfortunately, we have had several reported instances of substantive breaches at UT institutions over the past six months… The information security program, first established in 2006, needs to go beyond its inherent technical aspects and mature as a primary compliance function and responsibility at all UT institutions.” To accomplish the chancellor’s requests, UTPA had to move the information security officer from the IT division to the Division of Business Affairs. Additionally, the chancellor’s mandate clearly stated that while IT securi-

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ty should report to Business Affairs, it should also have a dotted-line relationship to the compliance function, or the office that watches over IT security. This directive, however, created yet another problem for the Division of Business Affairs, as it already included compliance and ethics. “The chancellor made the decision that security needed to come in through Business Affairs,” said VP of Business Affairs Marty Baylor. “But it also needed to have a dotted line over to compliance, so when we decided to move security to Business Affairs. I couldn’t have the compliance component anymore, or the dotted line would come right back to me at that point. So compliance moved over.”

UTPA solved this problem by also restructuring the existing Office of Compliance Support Services and the Office of Internal Audits to the Office of Audits, Compliance, and Consulting Services (ACCS). Eloy Alaniz, leader of the former Office of Compliance Support Services, will also lead this new office and serve as the university’s Compliance and Ethics Officer, Nelsen said. In particular, the university wants to emphasize the consulting part of the ACCS. “We don’t want our auditor or our compliance officer to be part of an office that is always investigating,” Nelsen explained. “We want them to be consulting, so if you want to know how to do something, or what’s right, or what’s wrong, you can call them up and con-

Page 11 - Holiday giftevent guide STC cultural

Noviembre, Page 14 - Q&Ames with nacional volleyball player de Rebecca Toddy la diabetes

outnumber UTPA 6:13

sult with them. So now we have a title, Eloy’s office is auditing, compliance, and consulting services to make it clear that they’re there to help and not just play ‘gotcha.’” Jesse Rivera, associate vice president for Business Affairs-IT Privacy and Security, thinks it was the right decision. “I think the chancellor wanted to separate that potential for conflict of interest,” he said. “I think IT Security was doing well under IT, but I think that in order to make sure that there was enough separation there, and so there wasn’t a conflict of interest, and we had objectivity placed on a specific function like security, the only way to do that is that it’s separated. So, yeah I think it’s a great thing. I’m really happy about it and excited.”

Cross-Country teams place in GWC

November 4, 2010

Commentary

Louisville lingers on

Vol. 67, No. 9

THE PAN AMERICAN

Journalism conference makes lasting impression

Last week the Student Publications crew made a trip to Louisville, Ky., for the Associated Collegiate Press ConferRoxann Garcia ence. The group News Editor consisted of members of The Pan American, Panorama magazine, and Bronc Radio and TV. Each sector was nominated for awards, which is a pretty big deal because it’s a national contest, not just statewide like the annual TIPA conference we attend. However, my focus today isn’t so much on accolades, but on the experience.

Editorial

I haven’t taken a school-related trip in quite awhile. Or at least the last one I went on in Kerrville, along with the same group, for the aforementioned state-wide competition. Never, however, have I traveled outside of the state of Texas and let me just say how mind-blowing it was. It’s one thing to travel with friends or family beyond Texas borders, but it’s another to go alongside a group to a conference where your goal is to better your sector. Upon arriving in Luhvul, Looavul or Looeyville (as the locals pronounce it) we were immediately shoved into different conference lecture sessions. All I could think of was how exhausted I was. We’d departed McAllen at five in the morning on our way to Houston where

we boarded another plane at eight before finally making it to Louisville at 11. Soon after the first conference session began however, in a room filled with college students from across the country, I started to hear different perspectives that embodied these individuals and their work ethic and style. I sort of forgot at that point where I was, because once everyone began detailing where they were from, I was mesmerized. I wanted to meet everyone! During one session another editor and I met Hispanic students from Chicago and California. They were unaware of the violence that has been occurring along the border recently. Or at least in their mind, they knew Mexico has had a history of violence but were in denial as

to how close it was hitting. I guess my point is, I was reminded of how much I enjoy travelling and meeting new people. Who doesn’t? One member of our group even rented a car to travel the Louisville streets on her own. She was quoted as saying, “When am I ever going to be in Kentucky again? I’d rather rent a car and ride around then just walk the surrounding streets near the hotel.” Bravo! What a wonderful idea! I love that she took the initiative to venture out on her own. Our professors are always expressing how important it is to venture outside of the Valley. I think a step further is even more important. It’s a different world out there and to step out into it is a blessing.

UTPA Student media brings home national honors

UTPA student media groups The Pan American, Panorama and Bronc Radio/TV were consistent names at the 2010 Associated Colgate Press and College Broadcasting awards last week in Louisville. All three outlets were national finalists among top schools from all over the nation. The awards were part of the 89th annual ACP/CMA conference, a five-day event where student journalists, professionals and professors combined forces to learn new techniques, swap and compare newsroom stories and strategies, and speak about current issues in the field. We are proud to say that an unknown spot on the map (to most) held its own among tough and more recognizable colligate competition, and these are the awards we brought back:

The Pan American Third Place for Multimedia Story of the Year - Jose Villarreal, Kristen Cabrera, Joao Calhandro Honorable Mention Design of the Year: Newspaper Page/Spread - Roy Bazan Honorable Mention Cartooning Award – Anthony Salinas

Bronc Radio/TV Second Place Best TV News Reporting – Heather Arevalo and Adriel Ortiz Finalist - Best Radio Newscast – Station Managers: Adriana Trevino, Larissa Garza Finalist - Best PSA – Adrian Cavasos and Larissa Garza

Panorama 2010 Magazine Pacemaker award – Daniel Flores, Santa Hernandez Fifth Place Best of Show: Feature Magazine - Daniel Flores, Santa Hernandez

Daniel Flores participated in an on-site competition called “Louisville Shoot-out” where his photo capturing the city was voted second place among conference photographers. Kristen Cabrera participated in “Main Street Stories,” an intense, hands-on, five-day workshop -- first of its kind for ACP—which divided 40 participants to capture video stories of the real Main Street in Louisville. The workshop’s final product will be added to “Mapping Main Street,” a collaborative project sponsored by NPR. All the winner’s and workshoper’s work can be viewed at studentpress.org/ acp, askcbi.org and cicmstreetstories.org.

1201 West University, CAS 170 Edinburg, Texas 78539 Phone: (956) 381-2541 Fax: (956) 316-7122 The Pan American is the ofﬁcial student newspaper of The University of Texas-Pan American. Views presented are those of the writers and do not necessarily reﬂect those of the paper or university.

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Kristen Cabrera kmcabrera22@gmail.com NEWS EDITOR: Roxann Garcia roxx.gar11@gmail.com ONLINE/SPANISH EDITOR: Denisse Salinas dns_145@hotmail.com ARTS & LIFE EDITOR: Benny Salinas 9_benny_9@live.com SPORTS EDITOR: Sara Hernandez shernandez261@gmail.com PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR: Alma E. Hernandez alma.e.hdz@gmail.com SENIOR DESIGNER: Jennifer Tate jen489@gmail.com DESIGNERS: Alexis Carranza alexis091@aol.com ADVISER: Dr. Greg Selber selberg@utpa.edu ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE: Anita Reyes areyes18@utpa.edu ADVERTISING MANAGER: Mariel Cantu spubs@utpa.edu WEBMASTER: Jose Villarreal josemvillarrealcs@gmail.com Selvino Padilla selvinop3@gmail.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Steven Kennedy srkennedy56@yahoo.com

Delivery:

Thursday at noon Letters to the Editor

Elias Moran/THE PAN AMERICAN

The Pan American accepts letters of 300 words or less from students, staff and faculty regarding recent newspaper content, campus concerns or current events. We reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and length. We cannot publish anonymous letters or submissions containing hate speech or gratuitous personal attacks. Please send all story ideas to thepanamerican@gmail.com. Individuals with disabilities wishing to acquire this publication in an alternative format or needing assistance to attend any event listed can contact The Pan American for more details.

November 11, 2010

Division transitions toward new name and vision

Post-Edwards era begins with emphasis on students By Alejandra Martinez The Pan American

With the retirement of VP John Edwards, the president’s cabinet and other stakeholders on campus have decided to rename the Division of Enrollment and Student Services to the Division of Student Affairs. The decision was reached at a recent cabinet meeting, says Lisa Prieto, chief of staff for the Office of the President. “We felt we needed to emphasize the student part,” Prieto said. “We did a bit of research on the other UT System institutions and most of them have a division of student affairs, so we decided that it was the best fit to show that we were student-focused.” The division will remain the same, so far no changes have been anticipated within the departments, and they all have been very positive about the switch, says Prieto, who worked directly with Edwards before moving to the Office of the President two months ago. “We hope that with Student Affairs we’ll be in line with the other institutions,” she said. “And reinforce that our role is really to be here for the students.” Some of the departments under the division are athletics, the Office

of the Dean of Students, GEAR UP, Admissions and New Student Services, the Office of the Registrar, Student Financial Services and Scholarships, and Student Health Services. According to Prieto, this will be a slow transition in terms of leadership. A search is underway for a new VP of student affairs to replace Edwards, who will retire at the end of December.

strong background in enrollment management,” she said. “And at that time, enrollment management was crucial to the university.” Although enrollment is still an important aspect and will remain as part of the division, the new title will place an emphasis on the university’s commitment to students, Prieto reiterated. She also added that enrollment management will be emphasized in

“We wanted someone on board by Jan. 1, we had an ambitious goal,” Prieto said. “We realized we had to push it back a couple of months, so we’re hoping someone will be on board by March 1.” According to Prieto, UTPA had a Division of Student Affairs before Edwards took over the VP position in 2001; he then renamed it Enrollment and Student Services. “He [Edwards] had a very

the job description for the new vice president. The change will be become effective with the appointment of the new VP. “The Division of Enrollment and Student Services has always played a crucial role in development and retention through collaborations across the university,” Prieto stated. “This will continue to be important under the Division of Student Affairs.”

Council’s proposal on CIA opens wider university discourse

By Pamela Morales The Pan American

The CIA’s presence on campus has been a hot topic among the College of Arts and Humanities faculty since 2006. But when the CoAH College Council went from discussing the Parking Lot B/B-1 dilemma to requesting a halt on funding for a program linked to the CIA in the College of Social Behavior and Sciences, there was elevated discourse. “To me, this seemed to come out of the blue,” said Fred Mann, a lecturer in the Communication Department and member of the CoAH College Council. “We were talking about parking for a long time…but we went solely from parking to CIA. I have no idea how they got to that topic…that’s what surprised me.” The focal point of the situation

is IGkNU, the Integrated Global Knowledge and Understanding Collaboration program that filters into Global Security Studies in the College of Social Behavior and Sciences. It is a 5-year external grant program now up for renewal, funded through the National Geospatial Agency. It is also part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which is linked to the CIA. This linkage has irked some CoAH faculty members, leading to a resolution passed recently to officially protest IGkNU’s presence on campus. A similar resolution in 2006, which sought to keep the program off campus, failed. David Carlson, assistant professor in the Department of History and Philosophy and member of the College Council, voted for opposition based on

his research of the CIA’s activities in Latin America. “As a Latin A m e r i c a n i s t ,” Carlson said, “I’m opposed to the presence of the CIA on a university campus because of my sense of the injury that the CIA has played in U.S.Latin American relations.” Meanwhile Sandra Hansmann, p r i n c i p a l investigator of the UTPA Intelligence Community

“ Iʼve

spoken

some

faculty that are not on the council. Theyʼre very

upset. They fell like they were kind of brushed over

and nobody really seemed to

care...weʼre a

kind

mini-congress...

and we canʼt ignore our departments. ”

Fred Mann

Lecturer

Center of Academic Excellence, says she is concerned about the proposal. She notes that the center in question provides training and job opportunities for UTPA graduates. “It is upsetting that some faculty members on this campus want to take away student opportunities due to their own personal opposition to one area of the ODNI,” she said. “We hope that our

university can continue to be a place of opportunity for students that is not damaged by faculty seeking to force their personal politics upon others.” THE DECISION IGkNU was secured on campus through a vote passed by CSBS College Council during the 2005-2006 school year. Now, as the process to renew funding begins, faculty members who were not part of the council wrote a resolution opposing the renewal and brought it to the attention of the group at the Oct. 14 meeting. Nine members in attendance voted unanimously on the resolution to oppose further ODNI funding, which has totaled $500,000 annually since 2006. Four members were not present

SEE COUNCIL || PAGE 7

Page 4

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Page 6

November 4, 2010

NEWS

Series educates faculty members on policies By Abel Prado The Pan American

pending on departmental work flow. With university policies in constant flux, administrators may have trouble The Department of Human Re- keeping current with new procedures sources Training and Development on anything from adhering to proper held its first Supervisor Series semi- information security and keeping an nar Friday in the International Trade accurate overview on a departmental and Technology Building in an ef- budget or inventory. fort to educate new and current em“It had been a while since I had ployees who work for the University to deal with some of the procedures in an administrative capacity. that we covered and I was surprised “We wanted it to be a sort of at how much some of the polices had mini-boot camp for administra- changed,” said Sophia Pina, directors,” said Frantor of the Univerces Rios, assistant sity High School vice president and Equivalency Prodirector of HR. “In the past we learned on gram, which helps “University polithose working in the ﬂy, we hope seminars cies and proceagriculture-related dures are always activities earn their like this can prevent changing, and we GEDs. thought it would “I’ve been with simple mistakes and help be beneficial to the university for have a seminar over 10 years” our supervisors be more on everything so Pina added. “And eﬃcient.” that the univerkeeping up with sity could operate the changes and more efficiently procedures can on a supervisor get away from you level.” when you consider Tw e n t y - t w o the amount of resupervisors took sponsibility your part in the twoposition can carry. Frances Rios Seminars like this day seminar Oct. Assistant VP & director of HR 19 and 22 and can be extremely discussed a variuseful in making ety topics pertian administrative nent to supervisorole easier.” ry roles. On day one attendees were On day two, topics such as mangiven an overview of the hiring pro- aging corrective actions and discicess as well as a course on the role of pline, and performance appraisal a supervisor in the university’s Insti- were addressed. More than that, the tutional Compliance Program. series took on a forward-thinking Most university policies are put mentality, Rios said. Aside from inup for departmental review every forming supervisors in attendance on three to five years and procedural proper compliance and paperwork changes may happen every year de- procedures, lectures were also held

about leadership tactics and keeping employees motivated. “There’s a lot that goes into your post when you are promoted to a leadership role,” said Kim Anderson, an employee relations adviser in the HR Department. “One of the more difficult things to handle is discipline. Not just on how to know whether disciplinary action is needed, but knowing the proper procedures and forms to fill out when discipline is needed.” One of the central themes of day two was an insistence that university supervisors engage their employees on a daily basis, Anderson said. This was especially germane for new employees who go from working in the ranks alongside co-workers to directing them. “It can be tricky if you’ve never been in a supervisory role,” Rios said. “In the past we learned on the fly, we hope seminars like this can prevent simple mistakes and help our supervisors be more efficient.” Currently members of the UTPA staff that are promoted from being a line employee, or any position below middle-management, to a supervisory role are not required to complete any sort of training and events such as the Supervisor Series are voluntary. Rios says that the Series will be held every semester from now on and may become mandatory for employees who are newly promoted to administrative posts depending on the future success of the event.

Aprillynn Sanchez/THE PAN AMERICAN

BOOT CAMP - Mike Mingus from Human Resources spoke to UTPA faculty Friday, at the Supervisor Series in the ITT building.

Aprillynn Sanchez/THE PAN AMERICAN

Volunteers called on to help preserve local wildlife Plant some trees at

La Sal del Rey

By Pamela Morales The Pan American On Saturday, the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge will be expected to gather volunteers to plant seeds, trees and shrubs for the Rio Reforestation XIX. This event is part of the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System to preserve lands and waters for conversation and management of fish, wildlife, and plant resources. UTPA will also be part of the reforestation with members from the Environmental Awareness Club in attendance. Oscar Trujillo, co-president of the club, said that at least 95 percent of the Valley has “disturbed” landscape due to agriculture. “The club has strong activism for Valley-wide issues concerning the environment,” said the junior biology major. “If you drive around the Val-

ley, not much plant life is native and really, plants define the environment.” The McAllen native also stresses that students should attend Saturday because it will offer a great learning experience for them to realize the low number of trees around the Valley. The UTPA Office of Sustainability statement sent via e-mail, saying it “encourages participation in events such as the Rio Reforestation because they promote a concern for a healthy, sustainable environment.” Volunteers will plant 25 acres of seeds, trees, and shrubs, to create more green space that contributes to the quality of life in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. There are a number of other wildlife areas in the Valley. At the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, representatives expect a good turnout to help aid the restoration of plants. “We want to plant a forest,” said

Marion Mason, a ranger at the refuge. “Because much of the wildlife has been lost through human activities such as agriculture and the development of towns and cities.” The plants that are expected to be used were grown from the nursery of the Laguna Atascosa Refuge and Lower RGV National Wildlife Refuge. Mason, who’s worked at Atascosa for a year, said the plants are native to the Valley so it further preserves all local ties. The event is set to begin at 8 a.m. and end at noon at a site located off Highway 186 onto Brushline Road, north of San Juan and east of Edinburg, in the area of La Sal Del Rey tract. Volunteers are asked to bring a shovel, work clothes, gloves and sun screen. For further information, call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 784-7500 or Friends of South Texas National Wildlife Refuge at 748-3607.

November 11, 2010

NEWS

Page 7

Website works to ease student queries MyEDU offers feedback on classes, professors

By Abel Prado The Pan American

Higher learning presents a series of important and educated decisions. With a never-ending wave of applications to fill out, majors to declare and loans to pay, the collegiate experience can get overwhelming and may eventually lead to someone dropping out. That’s the problem Michael Crosno, Chris Chilek and John Cunningham set out to solve when they launched MyEDU.com (formerly Pick-A-Prof ) in 2008, a resource website that offers campus-specific information about classes, degree plans and even professor rankings. “After you get into college there’s a laundry list of things that need to be done from semester to semester,” Chilek said. “We wanted to provide a source of information where students can go and research which classes to take, which professors are the best, and even when would be the best time to take a specific class and avoid taking heavy course loads. “Getting into college is the easy part now you have to graduate.” MyEdu, along with other informational sites such as OEDb. com (the Online Education Database) aim to provide information about college that one normally doesn’t find

in brochures or on bulletin boards. With a site like MyEdu, a student can look up information on specific courses at UTPA such as Margaret Graham’s Introduction to Cultural

Anthropology class - it currently has a five-star rating on MyEdu.com as well as a brief summary about the class and the professor, written by a former student. Additionally

a student can compare prices for the course’s required text, which is usually less expensive than its listed price at the University bookstore. “A student can get lost on a

“I’ve spoken to some faculty that are not on the council,” he said. “They’re very upset. They feel like they were kind of brushed over and nobody really seemed to care…we’re kind of like a mini-congress… and we can’t ignore our departments.” The decision to make a vote on the resolution was based on the concern of faculty that by the time the generally lengthy Council process takes place, the funding issue will be decided. “I can well appreciate that a College Council member, a representative, who wasn’t able to make the meeting but who opposes the resolution would be concerned about that,” Carlson said. “But there was a quorum, there were nine people

there. It was enough to carry on the business of the College Council and the decision that was made, following parliamentary procedures.”

the CoAH College Council is stated in the College of Arts and Humanities College Governance Policy: the council is “an advisory body that serves as a public forum for systematic deliberations and consultation.” Its process is explicitly derived from Robert’s Rules of Order by General Henry M. Robert, and is overseen by Council Parliamentarian Carlson. “It gets very complicated at times,” Carlson said. “But we try to keep it simple: a motion is introduced; somebody seconds it, then there is discussion and debate, somebody calls the question then it’s taken to a vote.” Two to three members, representing their department, bring up issues that are brought to

college campus,” Ashley Merusi, a spokesperson of OEDB.com said. “And I don’t mean just geographically. In many cases a student can benefit from more than regular academic advising and if they know the best way to attack their degree plan, then it makes it that much easier to finish school.” Chilek believes students armed with information can maneuver their way through their college careers without slipping into the same pitfalls that may lead to dropping out. According to numbers published by the U.S. Department of Education, College Bard, and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 53 percent of college students will graduate within six years and it takes an average of 5.3 years for the average student to attain a college degree. More than that 65 percent of students will graduate with either moderate or high levels of debt. Over a five-year span, MyEdu has tracked information by its users and conducted several in-house surveys. Since 2005 MyEdu data claims that 93 percent of users carry a GPA of 3.0 and above, 70 percent graduate on time compared to 36 percent nationwide, and students saved 20 percent of college costs by avoiding extra semesters. “We want to be the ‘Google’ of college information,” Chilek said. “If a student can go online look at which classes to take, buy books online at cheaper price, then they are at a great advantage.”

COUNCIL

continued from Page 3 at the meeting, including Mann, who says he did not know about the resolution until a couple of days later. Melynda Nuss, the chair-elect of the Council, noted the concern of faculty members over the issue, and therefore the council placed the item on the agenda for Oct. 14. “If we think that these issues will interest enough faculty to be worthy of discussion,” said Nuss, associate professor from the English Department, “we generally put them on our agenda. I can’t think of any issue that we’ve turned down.” Mann suggests the resolution wasn’t thoroughly vetted per the process, and he added that doing such things on a whim without the consensus of faculty is not very representative.

THE PROCESS Former President Blandina “Bambi” Cardenas brought along a model from her previous stop at University of Texas at San Antonio, requiring every college on campus to form College Council. The goal, beginning in 2005, was to give faculty the opportunity to govern issues within their own college. As part of the implementation, each college created bylaws that were then exercised the following school year, 2006-2007. The mission statement of

the group’s attention by colleagues, varying from faculty workload to parking lot re-zoning. The latter topic ignited the most debate this semester, as the lot most CoAH members use had been changed to “residents” instead of “reserved” status. After an initial unanimous vote, the proposal was sent to the Faculty Senate for further university-wide discussion. At a meeting Nov. 3, the Senate opened its meeting with the resolution but a few Senate members motioned for its removal from the agenda and suggested a later debate on its merits. The College Council will hold another meeting, open to the public Nov. 16, at which the purpose of the resolution will be discussed.

Día de los Muertos 4 de noviembre del 2010

THE PAN AMERICAN

Página 8

Hístoria por Karen Velásquez • Diseño por Jennifer Tate

4 de noviembre del 2010

THE PAN AMERICAN

Reviviendo y renovando la herencia de los pueblos prehispánicos

LA EXPOSICIÓN- (Arriba) Roberto Estrada, espiritista llevando a cabo una sesión para contactar con los muertos, (derecha) Claudia Garza, artista plástico y su altar dedicado a Frida Kahlo.

iertamente vivimos en una época en la que no podemos combatir en contra de la globalización, ni mucho menos tratar de recluirnos con el fin de conservar una identidad incorrupta. Gracias a la tecnología y los medios de comunicación, el enriquecimiento cultural del ser humano se ha visto acelerado en los últimos años. Sin embargo, en el proceso, muchos grupos alrededor del mundo han olvidado sus raíces y han sido consumidos por otras culturas. De acuerdo a la Oficina del Censo de Estados Unidos, el país está conformado por 48, 4 millones de habitantes hispanos, los cuáles constituyen el 16% de la población total estadounidense. No obstante, es un país en el que se ha perdido el interés de conservar las costumbres y tradiciones latinoamericanas. Con el afán de educar y rescatar las tradiciones prehispánicas, Teodoro Estrada, direc-

All Photos by Freddie Martinez/THE PAN AMERICAN

tor de Artes Visuales del Distrito Escolar de Brownsville, organizó una exposición del Día de Muertos el 1 y 2 de noviembre, en las instalaciones de su estudio “Barrio Antiguo”, en la ciudad de Brownsville de las 18:00 a las 21:00 horas. Con un enfoque diferente y vanguardista, Estrada optó por realizar un trabajo colectivo que le permitiera conocer más acerca de sus raíces mexicanas y aprender sobre la celebración del Día de Muertos. Sin olvidar los preceptos de ésta tradición, artistas plásticos crearon altares de muertos y ofrendas dándoles un toque único. Siendo la comida un básico de la ofrenda a los difuntos, ésta fue sustituida por creaciones plásticas; las flores de cempasúchil fueron mezcladas con rosas de distintos colores, creando así una imagen distinta de los altares tradicionales. Claudia Garza, artista inspirada en el folklor mexicano, expuso un altar dedicado a la imagen más representativa del arte popular mexicano: Frida Kahlo. El altar de Garza

constaba de tres escalones, los cuales representan el infierno, el purgatorio y el cielo. Ésos tres escalones permiten a los muertos venir de cualquiera de esos tres “mundos” a disfrutar de los altares en su honor. Garza realizó dos pinturas de Kahlo, muy al estilo de Diego Rivera, muralista mexicano esposo de Kahlo y Botero, pintor colombiano. Además de las pinturas, en el altar había fotos de Frida y Diego, ropa y muñecas típicas que fueron una fascinación para Frida durante su estancia en la Tierra. Flores y pinceles fueron elementos esenciales para honrar a Kahlo, pero lo que no podía faltar era la botella de Tequila, bebida favorita de la artista. El segundo altar elaborado por Garza fue dedicado a su bisabuela “Doña Adelita”. Éste contaba con fotografías, imágenes religiosas, velas, comida y flores, además de objetos pertenecientes a la difunta. “Ella tenía una colección de muñecas de diversos países. Por ello decoré el altar con muñecas de Rusia, México,

España y Japón; es uno de los recuerdos más presentes que tengo de ella”, dijo Garza. Además de los altares, Mauricio Saenz, artista visual originario de Matamoros, Tamaulipas, presentó un video en el que se mostraban imágenes de campos de concentración de la República Checa e imágenes de cementerios de la ciudad de Brownsville y Matamoros. Saenz consideró importante la realización de éste video ya que son lugares muy representativos de la muerte, la cual resulta muy interesante para el artista. “Es algo que está presente en la vida de todos. En la muerte veo mucha nostalgia, veo antigüedad y muchos recuerdos”, dijo Saenz. “Veo una belleza muy rara, algo que me fascina mucho, algo oculto, algo que hay que descubrir”. Saenz comentó estar complacido por el hecho de que la exposición se llevó a cabo en el estudio “Barrio Antiguo”; éste llamó mucho su atención ya que se trata de una construcción que hace honor a su nombre. “Me gusta

mucho el pasado, lo antiguo. Eso se conecta y se ve reflejado en mi obra”, dijo Saenz. Durante la velada estuvo presente Robert Estrada, espiritista, quién ofreció sesiones a aquellos que deseaban contactarse con algún pariente ó amigo difunto. Teodoro Estrada comentó que su hermano Robert es una persona muy preparada y gracias a él su familia se comunica con su madre, abuelos y tíos desde “el otro mundo”. “En mi familia esto no es nada nuevo, el espiritismo es algo que viene desde nuestros abuelos y bisabuelos”, dijo Estrada. Los colegas convivieron durante una agradable velada, honrando a sus familiares e ídolos ya fallecidos, además de revivir una tradición en el Valle de Texas. De acuerdo a Estrada, es importante promover las celebraciones típicas como el Día de Muertos ya que existen muchas

personas que no han tenido la oportunidad de practicarlas. “Yo no sabía nada de mi historia porque mis papás no lo consideraron importante. Sin embargo, ahora conozco más sobre mis raíces y estoy muy contento de poder celebrarlo”, dijo Estrada. “Las personas se olvidan que debemos celebrar nuestra cultura que es muy rica y muy bonita”.

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Día de los Muertos 4 de noviembre del 2010

THE PAN AMERICAN

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Hístoria por Karen Velásquez • Diseño por Jennifer Tate

4 de noviembre del 2010

THE PAN AMERICAN

Reviviendo y renovando la herencia de los pueblos prehispánicos

LA EXPOSICIÓN- (Arriba) Roberto Estrada, espiritista llevando a cabo una sesión para contactar con los muertos, (derecha) Claudia Garza, artista plástico y su altar dedicado a Frida Kahlo.

All Photos by Freddie Martinez/THE PAN AMERICAN

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November 4, 2010

List of Cultural Events

MTV’s “The Real World - Boston” alum Sean Duffy infiltrated Congress Tuesday by winning a Republican seat for Wisconsin in the House of Representatives. The former house-mate has distanced himself from the television network since his season aired.

Graphic by Kristen Cabrera/THE PAN AMERICAN

STC ‘pounces’ on UTPA’s cultural events A young school overtakes an established university’s programming schedule. Taking a lesson from the book on unnecessary television shows, CBS has decided to begin work on a reality show called “Same Names” which focuses on real people with the same names as celebrities. Their ﬁrst episode? A 35-year-old named Justin Bieber who loves pinball.

A little more than a year after his successful debut, Kanye West protégé Kid Cudi will release his second album “Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager.” Cudi calls this a much more personal record that continues the genre jumping of his debut album.

Are you still hiding yo’ kids and wife? Fresh off the success of the Antoine Dodson Halloween costume, Dodson has begun promoting a new iPhone/Android application for tracking sex offenders. For $1.99, the app detects sex offenders in nearby areas.

By Nadia Tamez-Robledo The Pan American At the start of Hispanic Heritage Month mid-September, the RGV Arts listserv began announcing its upcoming selection of celebratory lectures, speakers, and film series to its 1,500 subscribers. At the end of the four weeks, The University of Texas-Pan American had publicized six events. South Texas College’s Pecan campus, meanwhile, had sponsored 13. The apparently stark different in the number of cultural events between UTPA, the second-largest Hispanicserving institute in the United States, and STC, a school established in 1993 that only dropped the “Community” from South Texas Community College in 2004, has led some to wonder how the larger of the campuses could be seemingly falling behind in the realm of cultural programming. Virginia Gause, a media and marketing librarian for UTPA, started the RGV Arts listserv to keep people at Valley colleges informed of events happening at other campuses, in the hopes of creating a little friendly competition that would ultimately benefit the student bodies and surrounding communities. “But then I realized that it’s more than friendly competition,” she said. “Those people at STC are just pouncing all over us as far as having cultural events, particularly as far as bringing speakers from off campus to their schools. “ Eight of STC’s events were organized by its Mexican American Studies Program’s Platicas Sol de Atzlan lecture series, which hosted speakers like “Machete” screenwriter Alvaro Rodriguez and Chicano civil rights historian Cynthia Orozco. The series was established

after STC hosted the National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies conference in 2007. “It just made sense to offer it because we got a good response from our students, and there was nothing like this on campus,” Gomez said. “I also saw that it did wonders for our student retention. They were so motivated to continue their classes and take more Mexican-American Studies classes.” Unlike Platicas Sol de Atzlan, many UTPA events are put on by the University Program Board and the Office of Student Development These programs are planned, approved and organized by students and range from cultural programming to Spirit Week activities. “We advise them to the best of our abilities, but it is not our job to tell them what to have and what not to have,” said Tania Chavez, a University Program Board intern. “At many other universities, it is not the students who make the decisions on what to bring or who to bring…[At UTPA] the students are the ones who make the decisions.” Because funding for these events come student services fees, they are either open exclusively to students or give students first-priority seating, Chavez said. Programming such as the Distinguished Speakers Series allows students to enter before the general public while events like the Black History Month film series are for students only. “When we pay for the rights for those movies, we can only show them to our UTPA campus community because we do not pay for the rights to be able to show to the public,” she explained. Gomez believes that part of the reason STC seems to produce more Latinostyled events is because it is a “teaching college” while UTPA is a research-geared institution. Gause speculated as well that

the lower number of cultural events at there [at STC] and all those warm bodies UTPA could be due in part by the uni- in that room together watching this film versity’s research focus, though she’s not that showed a real milestone in the history convinced that’s the only reason. of the Mexican American civil rights. It “…we seem to give our all to two was just thrilling.” big festivals, FESTIBA in the spring Teresa Hernandez, a double maand HESTEC in the fall, but those are jor in Mexican American Studies and geared to attract the future students English at UTPA, said that STC seems to Pan Am to a large extent,” she said. to have more institutional support for “That’s wonderful and greater comthat they’re communication with ing…but I do feel its MAS program like we have an when organizing absence of our own “ What this school does cultural events. students at some of “In the simmatters to me, and I want these events, whereplest terms, they as at the Hispanic just seem to be so it to reflect what I love, Heritage Month much more in tune events they have at with the commualso, which is my culture. STC, particularly at nity, and they’re If I could just see more the Pecan Campus, reflecting that I see a lot of their demographic so collaboration between the own students.” much better,” the Gause had senior said. “What administration and the the opportunity this school does [MAS] program, I think to compare the matters to me, ways UTPA and and I want it to that we could do so many STC put on events reflect what I love, when she attendalso, which is my more things. ” ed the McAllen culture. If I could school’s screening just see more colof “The Longoria laboration between Affair” on Oct. 19 Teresa Hernandez the administration and UTPA’s viewand the [MAS] Mexican American Studies major ing of the film the program, I think following day. The that we could do documentary tells so many more the story of how things.” discrimination in Three Rivers against As the Public Relations Chair and a Latino war veteran led to the cre- Co-Founder of the Mexican American ation of the American G.I. Forum in Studies Club at UTPA, Hernandez said the late 1940s. she would like the opportunity to work “I had to literally sit on the floor at with the University Program Board and STC for a while until some kind young the Office of Student Development on man said, ‘Ma’am, would you like my cultural programming. chair?’ My husband sat on the floor 100 “I love UPB, so I wish that there percent of the time, so we didn’t see the would be collaboration,” she said. “I film that well,” she said. “The next night guess what hurts more is that there’s no we saw it at Pan Am, we were able to grab collaboration because, of all things, you front row, so we were finally able to un- would think that you have people at a derstand what was going on, but the am- university talking to one another, kind biance of all those people wanting to be of being facilitators to one another.”

November 4, 2010

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Arts AND LIFE

Faculty art exhibit at Edinburg City Hall >> UTPA’s art professors displayed works of their own Tuesday evening. REYNALDO I. SANTIAGO

LEILA HERNANDEZ

Courtesy of UTPA Music Department

Crooning the Commander – On Oct.19 the Mariachi Aztlan visited the White House and played exclusively for the president during the renewal of the Educational Excellence of Hispanics Bill.

UTPA Mariachi serenades Obama at the White House The group performed at the signing ceremony for an initiative on educational excellence for Hispanics. By Yngrid Fuentes The Pan American A dream comes true. A White House aid with the Obama administration calls asking if UTPA’s mariachi is interested in going to Washington D.C. to perform. The rest is history for the Valley. “I dreamed it, it was on my mind.” Mariachi de Aztlan director Francisco Loera said. “That some day we would be invited to the White House. It was a dream come true.” As part of the signing ceremony of a White House executive order renewing and enhancing the White House’s Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics; UTPA’s Mariachi Aztlan was invited to perform Oct.19 in the Grand Foyer of the East Room before and after the signing. Established in 1990 by former President George H.W. Bush, the initiative was designed to strengthen Hispanic education in America. “Latinos make up the largest minority group in America’s schools, more than one in five students overall, and they face challenges of monumental proportions,” Obama said at the ceremony, which was watched live on campus by thousands of members of the university community. “Latino students are more likely to attend our lowest-performing schools, more likely to learn in larger class sizes,

more likely to drop out at higher rates.” Obama opened his speech by greeting UTPA for being there. “Two-hundred people from all over the U.S. were special guests of Obama,” said Dahlia Guerra, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, who attended the ceremony. “They were entering and beginning to gather around the hallway. The mariachi performed for a little while and then we were very surprised when they started to clear out everybody in the lobby and a White House aid, a young lady, said, ‘The president wants to hear you all play,’” which was a big surprise to us.” Guerra explained that the official plan was to go, perform, be in the area where the bill was to be signed, and then go quickly into a room for a picture with the president. “Our expectation was a picture, so when he asked to hear us play by himself, with the group that was a big surprise, a wonderful surprise,” said Guerra, a long-time musician whose specialty is the piano. “We were very excited, when, through a back door, somewhere to the side, all of the sudden here comes President Obama. He just comes in, very tall and very inviting, a smile on his face. The mariachi is performing and he starts moving with the music and you can tell that he’s just really loving it.” “That was very special to the students,” Guerra continued. “Then he came to the students and started talking to them and

asked them: ‘How do you practice and how do you study at the same time?’ telling them they did a wonderful job, shaking their hands and so, it was an incredible moment in the lives of our students.” For Obama’s request, the group decided to play a song called “El Capulinero,” (Bowerbird) which seemed appropriate for the occasion, since it talks about somebody who comes from far away and offers a song as an offering of thanks, explained UTPA junior Fernando Mendoza. Another member of the musical group shared more details about the day. “When he (Obama) walked in we had already started playing, we could see him, we were thrilled, our jaws dropped, our eyes widened, the President of the United States was in the room with us,” said UTPA junior James Escobedo. “I don’t think anything can top this experience.” Guerra explained that UTPA’s mariachi was chosen due to its recent awards in national competitions such as the Mariachi Spectacular Competition 2010, where the group won the title of Grand Champion at both the university and professional level. UTPA mariachi was recognized in 1999 by the Texas House of Representatives and again in 2003, by the Texas Senate for promoting music and traditions of the Hispanic culture. In addition to its presentations at UTPA, the Mariachi Aztlan gives multiple performances each semester throughout Texas and the Rio Grande Valley in addition to performances abroad in places such as Canada and Mexico. In November the group will sit in with the Houston Grand Opera. For more information contact the College of Arts and Humanities.

PAUL VALADEZ

MARINA I. SALINAS

Alejandra Moreno/The Pan American

on display- “An Evening of Art” opened Tuesday featuring art by M.C. Farris, Lorenzo Pace and Douglas Clark among other UTPA faculty.

For a full story on this event, visit panamericanonline.com

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November 4, 2010

Mes nacional para la prevención de la diabetes de la población, que sufren de diabetes. Uno de cada 500 niños y adolescentes padecen de diabetes tipo I, Con la intención de crear conciencia mientras que alrededor de 2 millones sobre la prevención y control de la diabe- entre la edad de 12 y 19 años son dites, la Asociación Americana de Diabetes agnosticados con pre-diabetes. El principal causante de diabetes bautizó a noviembre como el mes oficial de la enfermedad, utilizándolo para in- en la población estadounidense es el sobrepeso. Sin embargo, la mala formar sobre la gravedad de ésta. alimentación, falta de ejercicio y la La diabetes, herencia repredenominada la sentan un factor séptima causa de importante en el muerte de Estados desarrollo de la Unidos en el año “Cada persona debe enfermedad. del 2006 después mantener una dieta Enfermedades de un estudio redel corazón, cealizado a las actas balanceada con alimentos guera, danos en el de defunción del sistema nervioso y mismo año, es un que no contengan azúcares en los riñones son desorden del mecomplicaciones y con un mínimo de grasa en tabolismo en el derivadas de una proceso que conellos, así como es también cantidad alta de vierte el alimento glucosa en la sangre. que ingerimos en elemental comer frutas, La probabilidad de energía. La insutener un ataque al verduras y almidones”. lina juega el papel corazón, debido a la más importante en presion arterial alta, la realización de es de 2 a 4 veces más éste proceso. alto en las personas Durante la Patti Koo que padecen diadigestión, los aliAsistente Médico betes que persona mentos se descomlibres de la enferponen para crear medad. Debido a glucosa, la mayor la diabetes, puede fuente de combustible del cuerpo. La glucosa pasa a la llegar requerirse la amputación de alguna sangre, dónde la insulina le permite en- extremidad del paciente. Una importante pregunta que se trar en las células. En personas con diabetes, uno de hacen las personas con sobrepeso ó falta de dos componentes de éste sistema fal- ejercicio es “¿cómo poder saber si padezco la: el páncreas produce poca insulina de éste desorden?”. Para poder saber si o simplemente no produce (Tipo I). tienen éste problema, las personas necesiLas células del cuerpo no responden a tan solicitarle a su médico una prueba de sangre que les permita saber que tan alto es la insulina que se produce (Tipo II). En Estados Unidos hay 23.6 mil- el nivel de glucosa en su organismo. Una vez diagnosticado con dialones de personas, es decir, el 7.8% Por Ale Roman y Karen Velazquez The Pan American

betes es importante tener el control de los alimentos que se ingieren así como lo señala la asistente médico de la oficina de servicios de salud para los estudiantes de la Universidad de Texas-Pan Americana, Patii Koo. “Cada persona debe de mantener una dieta balanceada con alimentos que no contengan azúcares y con un mínimo de grasas en ellos”, comento Koo. “También es elemental comer suficientes cantidades de almidones, verduras, frutas, leche y yogurt bajos en grasas. Los expertos recomiendan realizar ejercicio diariamente. Caminar ó nadar y evitar el ascensor. Desayunar y tener un horario para todas las comidas. También es altamente sugerido que las carnes rojas sean sustituidas por aves y pescado, además de evitar los postres y aúcares refinaods, al igual que los productos fritos o asados ricos en grasa. Koo añadió que es importante acudir a hacerse un chequeo para mantenerse informado de su salud. Durante este mes se espera lograr conciencia en la población sobre sus hábitos alimenticios y así poder disminuir el alto índice de personas con diabetes.

Porcentaje de Diabetes según raza

12.5

10 Caucásicos Asiático-Americanos 7.5

Afroamericanos Hispanos Mexico-Americanos

2.5

Caucásicos

Asiático- Afroamericanos Hispanos Americanos

Entonces, ¿quién tiene diabetes? • Aproximadamente 1 de cada 500 niños y adolescentes padecen de diabetes tipo I. • Cerca de 2 millones de adolescentes entre los 12 y 19 años. • El 22% de la población entre los 20 y 60 años. • El 23.1% de la población mayor de los 60 años. • Hombres: 11.2% de todos los hombres mayores de 20 años

• Mujeres: 10.2% millones de todas las mujeres mayores de 20 años De los latinos en Estados Unidos: 8.2% son cubanos 11.9% son mexico-americanos 12.6% son puertoriqueños

Mexico-Americanos

¿Cuánto cuesta tener diabetes? En Estados Unidos se recaudaron un total de 174 billones de dólares, donde 116 billones fueron directamente a los gastos médicos y los restante 58 billones fueron por discapacidad, pérdida de trabajo y muerte prematura.

Estudiantes dejan volar globos blancos en señal de esperanza Una vez mas alumnos de UTPA se reunen para apoyar ley que ayude a estudiantes ilegales a obtener residencia temporal Por Marcelo García The Pan American

Con un mensaje de amor, paz y unidad, Josse Alex Garrido y su equipo de colaboradores convocaron a una cantidad de alrededor de más de cincuenta personas que se dieron cita para reunirse detrás del Student Union al punto del medio día del pasado jueves para hacer posible el rally a favor del DREAM Act. La actividad comenzó con la movilización por parte de todos los reunidos para motivar a las personas que caminaban por la zona aledaña y utilizando globos blancos hacer que se reunieran donde estaban colocadas las sillas y el pódium donde Garrido se encargo de hablarles a los congregados acerca del DREAM Act y de los beneficios que esta propuesta traería consigo. Garrido, quien junto con muchos de los presentes vistió completamente

de blanco en señal de paz, toco varios puntos en los que destaco sus intereses de convencer a la gente de que el DREAM Act no solamente ayudaría a la economía de el país sino que también daría oportunidad a que muchos de los estudiantes ilegales que llegaron como menores a los Estados Unidos reciban préstamos, becas y ayuda por parte del gobierno para seguir sus estudios, así como también la oportunidad de trabajar legalmente ejerciendo su profesión de manera acorde a las leyes de la constitución. Así mismo, se dio a los presentes información útil acerca de cómo apoyar el DREAM Act donde se exhorta a las personas a hablar con sus gobiernos locales y comitivas de la ciudad, así como también con los directivos de las escuelas pidiendo su acción para la resolución del DREAM Act. Al reverso de esta información, se encontraba una oración para la unidad

promoviendo un mensaje de armonía que después fue coreada a una voz en ingles y después en español: “There is no color for the soul, there is no lenguage up above, Teach us to accept each other without walls, without hate, without fear/Contra el frio del racismo, protégenos, se nuestro abrigo, bajo tu nombre contra nosotros no existe enemigo, Padre, no existe ley, autoridad o poder mas grande que tu amor.” pronunció en su oración Garrido tras la respuesta al unísono de la concurrencia. La respuesta de los estudiantes y demás asistentes fue muy satisfactoria después de que Garrido ofreciera a las personas reunidas una clara explicación de cómo el miedo y la ignorancia pueden llegar a terminar con el sueño de la propuesta, anteponiéndose la falta de información y de acción por parte de los ciudadanos. “No debemos dejar que el miedo y la ignorancia se apoderen de nues-

tros pensamientos, ni mucho menos tar y Deportes Recreativos (WRCS por apoyar a algo que no conocemos o sus siglas en inglés) donde se invitó a los tememos.” agregó Garrido quien ciudadanos a votar mientras transitan a su vez incitó a por la calle Sugar promover la realen su camino por la ización de los sueUniversidad. ños y de las espeLas reacciones ranzas a favor del tras el rally fueron “Es algo que como DREAM Act. positivas. “Es algo mexicanos que somos que como mexiDicho esto, invitó a todos los precanos que somos debemos apoyar, ya era debemos apoyar”, sentes a dejar volar sus expectativas y tiempo de sumar fuerzas comentó Jorge Vianhelos mediante vanco, estudiante la liberación de los para apoyar y así lograr que de Administración globos blancos que de Empresas tras su acepten la propuesta”. se elevaron mienparticipación en el tras el aplauso de rally. “Ya era tiemtodos hacia que la po de sumar fuerzas sonrisa de los asispara apoyar y así tentes cerrara el lograr que acepten evento con resultaJorge Vivanco la propuesta, pidos positivos. enso que la aprobaEstudiante de Administración Para finalizar, ción del DREAM el tema de las votaAct solamente traciones se hizo preería cosas benéficas sente luego de que para todos”. Garrido invitara a los asistentes a que El próximo evento será el 8 de Novimarcharan juntos hacia el estacionamien- embre cuando se lleve a cabo la semana nato ubicado frente el Complejo de Bienes- cional de acción en pro del DREAM Act.

November 4, 2010

Broncs work their way to the top Cross-country teams place, exceed GWC expectations. By Mauricio Razo The Pan American The University of Texas Pan-American cross country teams fought their way into the top echelon Saturday at the 2010 Great West Conference cross country championships hosted by UTPA. The women were second with the men getting third. In the last race before regionals, the teams competed on a chilly Saturday morning at the Los Lagos Complex, against eight universities across the nation, including Utah Valley, Seattle University, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Houston Baptist, and Chicago State. With good results for the men’s and women’s team, head Coach Dave Hartman feels like they’ve progressed greatly since last year’s conference meet. “We’ve come a long way since last year,” Hartmann said. “This race was a tremendous accomplishment after placing fifth on both sides.” Both teams came back after last year’s fifth-place finish at Bronx, NY. At the beginning of the year, Hartman mentioned that finishing in the top three would be considered a success for both teams. The women’s team ran the 5-mile Race at the golf complex, which is made up of hills and artificial lakes. Utah Valley finished up in first place while the Lady Broncs were second place and North Dakota in third place followed by South Dakota. The team was led by the Kenyan duo of junior Lilian Lagat, who finished up in second place, and sophomore Judith Chumba, third. Although Lagat admitted that she felt sick before the race, she

Alejandra Moreno/THE PAN AMERICAN

ALL OUT - The men’s and women’s cross-country programs head to Waco next weekend to compete in the regional championship, where the women enter ranked in 10th and the men 12th in the South Central Region. was determined not to let her rivals get ahead of her. “I knew that there was a second team that was following us and I knew they had plans, but I told myself that I was going to follow them wherever they go,” the psychology major said. Chumba, last year’s 12th-place finisher, earned third this year and was satisfied with the women’s overall performance. “I’ve improved my time a lot during the season and I am very proud

MEN 1. Utah Valley 2. Seattle University 3. Texas-Pan American 4. South Dakota

of the teams overall performance,” Chumba said. She had run 18:49.5 at the Ricardo Romo/Six Flags Fiesta Texas Classic in San Antonio in September and improved to a 17:00.48 last weekend. The men ran a total of five miles, with Utah Valley taking first place followed by Seattle University, leaving UTPA in third. The team was led by Mathew Kotut, a 22-year-old biology major, who placed fifth in the race followed by Omar Doria, Senior, who finished in ninth. Kotut finished the race limping because of an injured quadriceps, but he

managed to keep his spot. He also recognized the Bronc team’s performance. “All season we’ve been training to get really good and I think we did pretty good in this race,” Kotut said. The Great West Conference championship marks the end of the conference season, and also allows athletes to get awarded for their performance during the 2010 season. On the women’s side, Lindsay Anderson (first-place medalist) from North Dakota, Lagat and Chumba of UTPA, Utah Valley’s Aleina Eisenhauer and Kody Kleven, Emily Emerson of North Dakota, and Cara Talty of Seattle were all part of the Women’s First Team Honors group.

On the men’s teams, the people who got awarded first team all-conference honors were: Erik Barkhaus of Seattle U, Houston Baptist’s Matt Perri and Maximo Mendoza, Utah Valley’s Josh McCabe, Jared Keller, and Spencer Evensen, plus Kotut of UTPA. On the men’s All- Great West Conference second team were: Brian Mendez and Tim Rowberry of New Jersey Institute of Technology, Seattle University’s Matthew McClement and Kelton Sears, Omar Doria of UTPA and South Dakota’s Ethan Marquardt and Jeff Mettler . The next meet will be the regional championship, where the Brons will compete against the highest ranking schools in the state of Texas Nov. 13 in Waco.

WOMEN 5. Houston Baptist 6. North Dakota 7. NJIT 8. Chicago State

1. Utah Valley 2. Texas-Pan American 3. North Dakota 4. South Dakota

5. Seattle University 6. Houston Baptist 7. NJIT 8. Chicago State

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES •Volleyball defeats NJIT at home. •Women’s basketball preview.

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THE PAN AMERICAN

November 4, 2010